Results 1-20 of 1,865 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Phil Willis

Outlawries Bill: Debate on the Address — [1st Day] (18 Nov 2009)

Phil Willis: It is wonderful to see the revival of socialism at the end of this Government's period in office. Does the right hon. Gentleman not feel acutely embarrassed, however, that after 12 years of a Labour Government we now have the most unjust, inequitable taxation system to be found anywhere in Europe, under which the poor pay a greater proportion of their income through direct taxation than the...

Business, Innovation and Skills: High-Speed Broadband (12 Nov 2009)

Phil Willis: Will the Minister accept that the way we shall get the private sector to create a really competitive market in the roll-out of broadband is by allowing different digital platforms access to content, particularly of BSkyB's premium programmes? What is he doing to make sure that Ofcom creates that wide competitive programme, rather than simply giving in to Murdoch?

Female Mortality (Africa) (11 Nov 2009)

Phil Willis: As I was saying, the eRanger motorcycle, with its custom-built sidecar, can also take a doctor or nurse as a pillion passenger, if that level of support is needed. The average cost of an eRanger ambulance is £4,000, which includes spares to allow smooth running for 12 to 18 months or 10,000 km. The vehicles are put together in South Africa; a local co-operative is used to build the...

Female Mortality (Africa) (11 Nov 2009)

Phil Willis: Thank you very much indeed, Mr. Benton. This is the last debate of the day, and I thank you in advance for your chairmanship. I am delighted to have an opportunity this evening to discuss a problem that I believe the Minister, his Department and the Government have taken seriously and on which we have a lot in common. I want to try to draw attention not only to the problems, but to some of...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Skills for Growth (11 Nov 2009)

Phil Willis: May I add my thanks for what will be a very interesting report? In particular, I should like to thank the Minister for picking up many of the issues raised by the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee in the wake of the Leitch report, and I echo his comment about individual skills accounts. However, in an act of friendship, I say to him that one of the real beneficiaries in...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (11 Nov 2009)

Phil Willis: The Prime Minister will know that there are about 1.3 million carers, who do the most fantastic job looking after people, often 24/7. This year £50 million was allocated by the Prime Minister to support respite care, but only 10 per cent. of that has been spent. In my primary care trust area, £365,000 is available, but only £3,600 has been spent. What will he do to ensure that...

Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (2 Nov 2009) has video

Phil Willis: The Government's chief scientific adviser is Professor John Beddington, who in February criticised the former Home Secretary for the way in which she treated Professor Nutt. Did the Home Secretary discuss the sacking of Professor Nutt with John Beddington before carrying out that act this weekend?

Business of the House: Standing Orders etc. (Machinery of Government Changes) (25 Jun 2009) has video

Phil Willis: Perhaps it is time for a change of mood. I have listened to most of this debate, which has been about the changes to Members' pensions, and I agree with the hon. Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love). I have listened to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Sir John Butterfill) and my hon. Friend the Member for Northavon (Steve Webb), who bring incredible expertise to this area, for which the...

Business of the House: Standing Orders etc. (Machinery of Government Changes) (25 Jun 2009) has video

Phil Willis: Well, he was when he became a member of the Committee. [Interruption.] I do not want to intrude on grief—or, perhaps, happiness, depending on which way one looks at it. With the exception of the fantastic contribution of the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell), a fantastic member of the Committee, unless we get all the parties actively participating in scrutiny, the Select...

Business of the House: Standing Orders etc. (Machinery of Government Changes) (25 Jun 2009) has video

Phil Willis: We have the answer.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Engagements (24 Jun 2009) has video

Phil Willis: May I say to the Prime Minister that this year's 10 per cent. increase in applications to higher education is a massive cause for celebration? The fact that the major increases are particularly among young black males, students over 40 and people in lower socio-economic groups is a double cause for celebration. Will the Prime Minister therefore say why the planned 15,000 extra higher...

Business of the House (18 Jun 2009) has video

Phil Willis: First, I thank the Leader of the House for considering carefully the issues that my hon. Friend the Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) and the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) raised about the resurrection of the Science and Technology Committee. When the machinery of government changes took place in 2007, perhaps she was unaware of the strength of feeling not only...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Digital Britain (16 Jun 2009) has video

Phil Willis: On the copyright tribunal, there are some very interesting recommendations—hidden away in the report—on orphaned works and collecting organisations' ability to re-license them. Will the Secretary of State tell the House, first, where that re-licensing money will go and, secondly, why he has gone for a self-regulating ombudsman rather than a statutory body?

Business, Innovation and Skills: Apprenticeship Courses (11 Jun 2009) has video

Phil Willis: I welcome the Minister and the rest of the team to their posts. Members of all parties are really pleased to see the rise in the number of adult apprenticeships, and the funding for 2010 looks reasonably secure. The problem that the hon. Member for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor) raised was about employers taking part. On 9 June, in a comment to The Guardian, the Chancellor made clear that...

[Ann Winterton in the Chair] — Investigating the Oceans (2 Apr 2009)

Phil Willis: May I say how welcome the Minister's thoughtful response is to the issues raised? I do not think that I or any other hon. Member cast aspersions on the quality of science on Tyneside. If we did, I humbly apologise. What we would like from the Minister is the reasons why Tyneside was chosen, rather than Plymouth, Liverpool or any other place. What were the special features of Tyneside, other...

[Ann Winterton in the Chair] — Investigating the Oceans (2 Apr 2009)

Phil Willis: It may seem a little odd that a report published in October 2007 by a now defunct Select Committee is the focus of today's debate in this packed Westminster Hall Chamber. Indeed, when the former Science and Technology Committee announced its "Investigating the Oceans" inquiry in November 2006, we did not envisage that so little progress would be made on such an incredibly important area of...

[Ann Winterton in the Chair] — Investigating the Oceans (2 Apr 2009)

Phil Willis: The hon. Gentleman speculates in that way. To be fair and to answer his question bluntly, I think that there is a lack of co-ordination of marine science activities across Government. The parcel is being passed among various Departments rather than being grasped. I will come to some of those issues. We have seen the same thing in a number of cases where it is not easy to compartmentalise the...

Tsunami Memorial (30 Mar 2009) has video

Phil Willis: I am especially grateful to have the opportunity this evening to remind the House of one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded in history—the Asian or Boxing day tsunami of 2004. Resulting from an undersea earthquake with its epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, the sudden explosion, with a power estimated by the US Geological Survey to be the equivalent of 23,000...

Scientific Procedures on Animals (Statistics) (24 Feb 2009)

Phil Willis: Let me congratulate the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Bill Etherington) on securing the debate. He is right that the House should constantly debate this issue. I had little difficulty with much of his speech, although I respectfully disagree with him on several issues, which I shall raise. I congratulate the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Sir John Butterfill) on putting the case...

Scientific Procedures on Animals (Statistics) (24 Feb 2009)

Phil Willis: The duplication of experiments is nonsense—I do not think anyone could argue with that—and we are delighted that the UK no longer experiments on animals for household products or cosmetics. As I am sure the hon. Lady knows, however, the problem is that the new REACH—registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances—regulation will revisit...